Learn how to protect your family against the harmful bacteria that may be found in our favorite foods

You're probably concerned, like everyone else, about the thousands of peanut and peanut-containing products that have been recalled due to concerns over Salmonella typhimurium contamination. In order to bring you the latest, no-nonsense food safety information, Samantha Cassetty, M.S., R.D., Nutrition Director of the Good Housekeeping Research Institute, checked in with food safety expert Christine Bruhn, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Consumer Research at University of California, Davis.

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GHRI: What are the symptoms of salmonella?

CB: People are often surprised to learn that symptoms don't appear for 12 to 72 hours after eating the contaminated food. Then, someone may experience nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and bloody diarrhea (red or black blood in the stool).

GHRI: Who is most at risk?

CB: Children under 10, adults over 50, pregnant women, and those who have other illnesses, including cancer and diabetes, are most at risk.

GHRI: What should someone do if they feel sick?

CB: If you're experiencing bloody diarrhea, go to the hospital. If you think you might have had a product with peanuts and you're feeling sick, see a doctor. If you're caring for someone who may be sickened by salmonella, try to ensure they are adequately hydrated.

GHRI: How did Salmonella typhimurium reach the food supply at the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) plant?

CB: In this case, we don't have the full picture yet, so we don't know how peanuts and peanut products in these plants became contaminated. Peanuts grow on the ground, and the earth can carry pathogens like salmonella. The environment is full of bacteria that could contaminate food. Or, food can be contaminated by other products or poor sanitation of workers. At this point, the source of the peanut outbreak hasn't been identified.

GHRI: Why have products continually rolled out on the recall list?

CB: Peanuts and peanut butter have a long shelf life, so things that were shipped in the past could still be in a warehouse or on shelves. Plus, salmonella itself has a long survival time. The combination of these two factors seems to be the culprit.

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GHRI: If a peanut-containing product isn't on the recall list, do you think it's safe to eat? What should consumers do?

CB: First, it's important to be vigilant about making sure that the product isn't on the recall list and can't be traced to PCA. Once you've taken these assurances, the product has the same level of safety it always had, which is not a guarantee of absolute safety. We can never guarantee that because of all of the bacteria in the environment.

GHRI: How should people handle peanuts in the nut dish? In mixed nuts?

CB: In this case, it makes sense to ask your host (politely) if he or she can be sure the nuts aren't from a PCA plant. If your host isn't certain, or hasn't checked the recall list, eat something else.

GHRI: Could anyone sickened in the outbreak have avoided it?

CB: Once an outbreak has been established, the only thing you can do is check the recall list and use caution if you're in doubt. It's worth repeating that we can never guarantee absolute safety. As a consumer, there's always a degree of compromise between the risk you accept and the diversity you're seeking from your diet.

GHRI: What is the FDA doing to ensure our food supply is safer in the future?

CB: I don't think it's fair to blame the FDA for our food safety issues. Their resources have been cut steadily for the last decade so their hands are tied. It's the food industry's job to ensure food safety. The industry needs to have set standards and follow them, and the FDA needs the tools to enforce the standards and to deliver consequences when the rules aren't followed.

You can get involved by writing to your congressman or congresswoman to support allocating more funds to the FDA for regulating food safety. It's Congress's job to enhance its resources.

GHRI: What has this outbreak taught us in terms of safeguarding ourselves from dangers in the future?

CB: Bacteria are everywhere — even in foods you may have thought were "safe."

I'd love to see Congress and the FDA make newer technologies available that will enhance our safety. For example, irradiation could make spinach, lettuce, ground beef, and luncheon meats significantly safer, but the technology is tied up in regulatory issues. The technology is there, and it's safe, but we're missing out by not using it!

This is another area you can get involved with. Write to your representative and request that he or she support irradiation technology.

GHRI: In general, are certain foods considered more dangerous?

CB: In the past we used to worry more about meat and poultry, but in the last decade, there have been more outbreaks related to fresh produce. Raw food — produce, meat, poultry, eggs, etc. — has a greater potential for risk, so in terms of food safety, you're better off cooking food. And meats and poultry should be cooked to a proper internal temperature.

Another thing to keep in mind is that organic does not ensure safety. Some of the foods on the peanut butter recall list are USDA-certified organic.

GHRI: Would you ever caution certain groups of people to avoid "risky" foods?

CB: It makes sense to avoid undercooked meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs, but I would never encourage someone to avoid produce. When it comes to produce, my philosophy is to eat whatever you can afford that you enjoy. Just eat lots of it. Then make sure that your produce is handled safely: Greens and fruit salad should be refrigerated, and you should avoid produce that looks wilted or damaged, cut away bruised portions, and eat your produce in a short period of time so you don't give bacteria a chance to grow.

GHRI: What's the good news in all of this?

CB: In the midst of an outbreak, it's hard to believe this, but we now have the ability to identify what makes people sick in order to control the problem and ensure that others won't get ill. It takes time, and of course we wish it would be quicker, but we have a lot better control than we used to.